New Zealand – Support for Jan Logie’s call for discussion about a ‘Rainbow Ministry’

The PSA’s Out@PSA network supports the call made at the opening of this year’s Wellington Pride Festival by Greens MP Jan Logie that it would be worthwhile to explore having a ministry-level government agency for LGBTI+ New Zealanders.“We agree with Jan Logie that the responsibility of addressing issues for the LGBTI+ community cannot be left to voluntary community organisations alone and the government has to look at increasing its role,” says Caleb Gordon, Out@PSA network convenor.“We also agree that there is no natural home where budget bids can be addressed for specific LGBTI+ issues and current policy failings in areas like addressing discrimination and targeting needs around homelessness and the poor mental health statistics experience by LGBTI+ New Zealanders.“We acknowledge the importance and necessity for the discussion to begin. However, the scope of this thinking needs to have a broader focus than just being about the establishment of a single Ministry. Logie stopped short of explicitly calling for the establishment of a rainbow ministry, but did include it as a possible solution to remedying the problem.